Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
by Alyscia
Summary: Misunderstanding is the difference between admiration and mortification.
1. Chapter 1

**FAGE 11. Are You In…?**

**Title: Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained**

**Written for:** **Anne Chowdhury/TwiAddictAnne**

**Written By: Alyscia**

**Rating: M**

**Summary:** _Misunderstanding is the difference between admiration and mortification._

**Prompt used:** **Feel free to admire me**

**BPOV**

Taking a deep breath, I go back over my notes as I try to decide which direction to take. Mostly, I'm trying to avoid my surroundings; I'm a hermit, for all intents and purposes. I only come out of my nice, cozy home because of Alice and Rose. They're the only people I have to call family.

Rose is a mechanical engineer with long legs and blonde hair. Her special talent is making people question stereotypes. She's brilliant, with the mouth of a sailor and the body of a model. Rose Hale is the embodiment of a protective older sister.

Alice Brandon was the first woman to become a marine sniper. Not only that, she's one of the top five snipers in the world. It's not the first thing someone would think when looking at her. She's five-foot-five with short dark hair. Alice is next in line for my biggest protector.

I grew up with them, and they stuck with me when my mother died just after I turned nineteen. Renee never told me who my father was, leaving me alone if not for Rose and Alice. I would do anything for them, and them for me. They're the sisters I always wanted but my mom never gave me.

My plot ideas were scattered all over my paper. I mumbled out loud, "Who do you admire?"

"Feel free to admire me." A smooth voice shook me out of my head, almost knocking me off my chair.

Of course, it was the green-eyed devil that lived to make me speechless. Edward Cullen, the owner of the establishment where Rose and Alice loved to hang out. Something about eye candy and good food.

Part of his mouth lifted and his piercing eyes were full of mirth as he waited for me to respond.

"Writing," I murmured, feeling the tingling heat spreading in my chest and face.

He leaned in closer, his intoxicating smell washing over me. "You're an author?"

I barely heard him as I looked him over. I started with his copper-colored hair cut into a fade but long on the top, followed by emerald eyes with thick eyelashes and an eyebrow piercing. His tongue ring dragged across his plump bottom lip. My gaze drifted to his five o'clock shadow-covered jaw. Just peeking out from the neck of his t-shirt were tribal tattoos with writing I couldn't process before someone hollered my name.

"Bella!"

My eyes widened at his smile and chuckle just as Rose and Alice pulled me away from the bar to our normal table.

Edward followed us and leaned against our booth, tracing his bottom lip with his tongue ring and one brow raised. "Rose, are you going to keep torturing my cousin?"

Rose smirked. "He knows my number when he wants to admit defeat."

Edward's head fell back as he barked out a laugh. "Oh, you might wait awhile."

I let my hair fall over my face as I contemplated Rose and Emmett's dynamic. Emmett McCarty was six-three, easily two hundred and fifty pounds of muscle. He sported short, curly black hair and deep cobalt eyes, and despite his intimidating look, he was a teddy bear at the core. He loved kids so much he taught at the high school, coached varsity football, and coached Little League. He was everything that Rose would want in a guy, except that he put his foot in his mouth more often than not and made lewd comments every chance he got. Emmett and Rose met at Cullen's Bar a few months ago, and they couldn't seem to define what they were without an argument.

Awkwardly pulling myself together, I looked up to find Edward watching me. I felt my face heat up and looked back down at my notebook.

Clearing his throat, he asked, "The usual, ladies?"

I nodded my head while Rose and Alice answered yes.

Alice bumped my shoulder to let me know he walked away.

"That man has the hots for you, Bells." Rose wiggled her brows.

I merely scoffed at the thought that someone like Edward would ever have any kind of feelings for someone like me. The lack of answer made me look up at my sisters, who were giving me a disapproving look.

"You're gorgeous, and he would be lucky and thanking his stars to have a chance with you, Bells." Rose gave me a pointed look. I was used to that look; they'd both given it to me many times.

Utilizing all my restraint, I didn't roll my eyes even though I wanted to. "As you and Alice keep saying."

Before we could launch into the discussion, Edward brought our drinks with a deliberate wink my way. I felt how red my face and ears were as he walked away. Alice and Rose chuckled as I sipped on my drink and hid behind a veil of long hair.

"How's Jasper doing?" Rose asked Alice before taking a sip of her drink.

Jasper Whitlock was Alice's longtime boyfriend. They signed up for the military at the same time, but they were never stationed together since she went sniper and he went into Marine Force Recon. She discharged last year, but he was still in for another four years at least. He might be in there for life and Alice didn't know if she could deal with that.

She sighed. "He's good. He has leave next month, and we'll have a sit-down conversation."

Anyone else looking at Alice wouldn't see that she was conflicted, but I'd known her my whole life. She was my sister, and I knew she was hurting at the idea she and Jasper might part ways.

I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her in for a hug. "Everything will work out in amazing ways."

She laughed, hugging me back. "You're so cheesy, but I love it."

I couldn't help but snort.

For the rest of our evening, we drank a little, talked and laughed. The entire time I found myself always looking around for Edward. His words rattled around in my head.

_Feel free to admire me_.

What did that even mean?

"Bella, what has you thinking so hard?" Rose raised an eyebrow.

My cheeks warmed. "Nothing."

Rose chuckled. "Girl, you have it bad."

I ignored her, but I avoided looking for Edward again.

I felt like I was completely stuck with writer's block. Alice and Rose were too busy to let me bounce ideas off of them. They were the only ones I trusted enough to do that with, so I took a walk in an attempt to clear my head.

Notebook in one hand and my earbuds in, I walked until I found myself standing in front of Cullen's Bar. It was too early for them to be open, but it looked like someone was there behind the bar.

Biting my lip, I pushed on the door and it opened. As I walked further inside I found Edward cleaning the bar top.

"We're closed until six," Edward's voice called out. He sounded irritated.

"Sorry," I mumbled, ready to walk back out.

His head whipped up and he stared at me. "Bella?"

I nodded, still biting my lip and holding my notebook to my chest. "I didn't mean to come in, I, um…" I held up my notebook. "I'm trying to get over my writer's block."

Edward smiled. "Well, come in, sit down, and tell me what you're writing about."

I slowly made my way over to a stool and took a seat. "It's different," I murmured.

He leaned against the bar top and ran his tongue ring along his bottom lip before speaking. "Sweetheart, I'm a different kind of guy."

I took a deep breath and let it out before speaking. "I'm writing about a dragon and how she's the last of her kind when a war comes to her land."

Edward raised the brow with the piercing in it. "That sounds kind of fascinating."

I couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, I thought so, too. My editor isn't happy about it because she wants another love triangle story, but that's so overdone. For the life of me, I couldn't do it." _Again_, I thought to myself.

"That's the truth. So what's got you stumped?"

His green eyes entranced me and I found myself spewing everything about Oracle, the last warrior dragon. He listened and traded ideas with me. Before I realized it, I was writing out a whole chapter and ideas were flowing.

"I need to get back and type all this up. Thank you, Edward."

He took my hand with a soft touch and kissed the back of it. "You can bring your laptop next time."

Completely brain-dead by the kiss on my hand, I nodded and walked out of the bar. When I made it home, I fell against my closed door. _Edward kissed my hand!_

Giggling to myself, I went to my computer and opened my documents before realizing I didn't have my notebook. I really didn't want to walk all the way back for it. Groaning, I opened a blank document and just wrote everything I remembered. But, as I was trying to write, my mind wandered to Edward, thinking about what his lips would feel like against my lips. Would the metal from his tongue ring feel cold or warm against my skin?

Slamming my laptop shut, I decided to just go back to Cullen's.

As I left my apartment, I tried to convince myself to ask for his number. I wanted to learn more about him. Maybe there _was_ something there that we could explore… slowly.

Feeling just enough confidence, I put on a smile and walked up to the bar. His back was turned toward me and I looked him over. He'd changed his shirt to a form-fitting black tee. His muscles were taut and perfectly outlined. I wanted to trace my fingers along them. Who knew a back could be so attractive?

As I walked closer to get his attention, I noticed he was talking to a petite woman with short brown hair. They were both looking down at something. I zoned in on the object and my heart stopped. _My notebook_. They were both smiling and laughing; most likely at me. I kept very intimate ideas and thoughts in there.

Embarrassment flooded my system as I robotically walked up. Edward spotted me.

"Bella!" His crooked smile caused a pang in my heart as my face heated.

I grabbed the book, looking at him through watery eyes just long enough to show him my pain and walk away. I promised myself I would never walk back into Cullen's, never even think about the green-eyed man that caused me so much hurt and embarrassment.

Rose and Alice couldn't convince me to leave my apartment. It took them a week before they broke in to see if I was still alive. Technically, I was. I was eating, drinking, and I worked enough to keep my editor at bay.

But I went back to trusting only them. I ordered groceries from the market and had them delivered. If Alice and Rose wanted to see me, then they had to come to me. I was a very private person; my mom wasn't the best, and when I was growing up everyone thought I was weird because I lived in my own little world where I made up characters and talked about them as if they were real. In high school, I carried the same notebook around where I wrote about my imaginary friends' lives. I never connected with the opposite sex because I didn't spread my legs. I didn't go out of my way to impress them, and apparently, that's not an attractive quality, according to them.

Tears sprung to my eyes. But, Edward... It was stupid of me. There was never a connection, he was just being nice to a patron. I was probably some kind of dare or joke, and his girlfriend got a laugh over someone like me thinking they could get someone like him.

Rose and Alice did not understand what happened that caused me to turn back in on myself, and they were going crazy trying to figure it out. I didn't want them to know because I knew what they would do to Edward. Part of me wanted it to happen, but the other wanted him to be okay.

I hated having conflicting feelings.


	2. Chapter 2

**EPOV**

It was just another day of keeping my business up and going when she walked in. She brushed her hair behind one shoulder as she looked around, her bottom lip between her teeth. She was hugging a notebook or something of the sort to her chest. Her weight shifted from foot to foot as her gaze swept around my bar. When she looked my way and our eyes met, it knocked the breath out of my lungs.

She had a heart-shaped face with round doe eyes that just hypnotized me. They weren't just any kind of brown, they were chocolate brown, the kind that reminded me of hot cocoa swirling around. They drew me in. Before I could gather the nerve to walk up to her, two women joined her, one on each side. One was a tall, leggy blonde that screamed high maintenance model, the type my cousin would go for. The other was short with dark, pixie-cut hair. They hovered over her as my doe-eyed girl kept looking around, almost as if they were waiting for her to decide if this place was okay.

Letting her lip free of her teeth, she nodded.

It was almost the same routine every Friday night: doe-eyes came in first, followed by her two girlfriends, and then they sat down. They never left her side; one got drinks from the bar while the other sat with her. They were careful to never leave an opening for anyone to walk up to her.

Part of me was happy that my doe-eyed girl was safe from the pigs that came here. But the other part wanted to have a conversation with her. I wanted to ask her out, but her friends petrified me. Shorty was always packing, and I'd watched Blondie lay out a biker dude for touching her ass. It's not that I hadn't shared a few words with her. I'd said hi and taken their drink order, but her face was always down in her book as she doodled in it.

It was weeks before I found an opening to talk to her, but before I could make it over there her bodyguards, Blondie and Shorty, cut me off. Blondie stood right in front of me with her hip cocked to the side as she looked me up and down.

"I like you, Edward. I think you're a great guy."

I scrunched my face. "Thanks?"

Shorty piped up, "Our friend is shy, like recluse shy, so the fact she even sat down at a table here is a miracle. I want her to continue to come here."

Their eyes bored into mine. "And what, you think I'll be the reason she won't come here anymore?"

The thought stopped my heart. Over the last few weeks, I'd become fond of her. Watching her write in her notebook, taking small sips from her straw, and when there was just a little left on her lips, she swirled her tongue around them to clean them off.

She was breathtaking in every way.

"If you ask her out now, yeah. Just wait a while, until she notices you." Blondie patted my arm.

The rejection stung. "She doesn't notice me?" I wasn't a narcissist, but I knew I was good-looking, and I'd had no problems getting attention from women.

Shorty laughed. "She does, but our girl is oblivious, and when someone tries to make a move, it freaks her out and she hides. Just flirt occasionally and slowly. Let her work her way to you."

That was months ago. And that's what I would do, throw her a few compliments, wink here and there. I didn't think I was getting anywhere until last week when she was waiting for Rose and Alice to get there and she was mumbling to her notebook.

After our moment, they snatched her up and took her away, but Rose gave me the thumbs up that it was okay to approach her.

I would finally have a conversation with her that entailed more than getting her drinks and asking about Rose and Alice.

While wiping down the bar a couple of hours before I had to open, restocking and going through the books, I heard the front door open.

Annoyed that someone couldn't read the fucking sign, I barked, "We're closed until six."

"Sorry," a low, shaky voice answered me.

I would know that voice anywhere. I nearly gave myself whiplash when I looked up to see her standing there. She was wearing a pair of tight blue jeans and a black sweater, and one earbud was hanging down. Her hair was in a braid that she constantly twisted between her fingers. Her other hand clutched the ever-present leatherbound notebook to her chest. Her bottom lip was secured between her teeth.

I couldn't believe my eyes. "Bella?"

She blushed as she nodded her head. "I didn't mean to come in, I just, um…" She held her notebook up. "I'm trying to get over my writer's block."

She came here alone. Bella felt comfortable enough to come here. Unable to hide my happiness, I smiled. "Well, come in, sit down, and tell me what you're writing about."

I really wanted to be her teeth as she used them to bite her luscious lip again. Despite admiring her physique, I was genuinely fascinated with what she could be writing about.

She murmured, "It's different."

I wanted to laugh out loud. I was six-two, all lean muscle, covered in tattoos and piercings, and had shaggy copper hair. I was the definition of different. "Sweetheart, I'm a different kind of guy."

She stopped chewing on her lip, and the most words I've ever heard from her spewed out. "I'm writing about a dragon and how she's the last of her kind when a war comes to her land."

"That sounds kind of fascinating." Fantasy is my kind of story.

A remarkable smile graced her features and knocked the breath right out of my lungs. I'd never seen her smile the way she was just then.

"Thanks, I thought so, too. My editor isn't happy about it because she wants another love triangle story, but that's so overdone. For the life of me, I couldn't do it."

She sat on a stool and I leaned in close, bobbing my head. I truly agreed with her; even in the fantasy genre, there was always some kind of love triangle mess. "That's the truth. So what's got you stumped?"

Her eyes widened as looked at me and then she started in. She transported me into a world where dragons were real and one was trying to save them all. I was transfixed. I couldn't help but ask questions and come up with some possible ideas for Oracle.

She smiled down at her notebook. I didn't even notice that she was writing as we were talking.

"I need to get back and type all this up. Thank you, Edward." She sounded out of breath as her eyes lit up with excitement. Needing to touch her somehow, I took her hand and pressed my lips to the back of it. I really wanted to see her more, to see her excited and to hear her speak more.

"You can bring your laptop next time."

Her cheeks warmed up to a spectacular shade of pink as she walked away.

I was thrilled that I'd gotten the chance to talk to her and even touch her. I had to gather my bearings so I could finish opening for the night. That was when I saw her notebook laying on the bar top. I picked it up and went to the front to turn all the signs on, letting the world know we were open.

As people trickled in, my body was burning with curiosity to look in the book that Bella spent most of her time with.

"Eddie!" A hyperactive voice called out my hated nickname.

Turning to my cousin who was smirking, I replied, "Kate when did you get in?"

Kate Denali was my cousin from my dad's side and a woman with her fingers in many pies. Most recently, she was a sought-after movie producer. "About an hour ago, and I had to come here and see my favorite cousin."

I wrapped my arms around her. "It's nice to see you. What are you in town for?" I asked as I got her a drink.

She sighed, taking a stool. "I'm getting away from the idiots that want to keep pitching me pathetic, overused ideas."

I chuckled at her usual rant.

"I'm being serious. I want to do something original." She threw back a shot.

Bella instantly came to mind. "You know, I honestly think I might have something for you." Without thinking twice, I pulled out Bella's notebook, flipping through until I found the doodles of Oracle. I turned it around so Kate could see. "I have an author friend who's working on something. I think you'll want to be a part of it."

Her brows pushed up into her hairline as she looked over the notebook. "This looks fascinating."

I grinned. "Right? She's amazing."

She looked at me with a smile of her own. "Oh, dear cousin, do you have the hots for this author friend of yours?"

The tips of my ears heated up as I avoided her question. "It's pretty good, isn't it?"

"It really is. I would love to meet her and pick her brain more."

I felt a presence near my elbow, so I looked up to see Bella standing there with a blank look and watery eyes. Happy to see her, I cheerfully said her name. "Bella!"

She snatched the book out of my hands, tears springing from her eyes as she walked away without looking back.

My head swam. What the hell just happened? Realizing what it must have looked like to her and knowing how shy and private she was, I ran after her. I stopped on the sidewalk, stretching my neck to look in every direction, but I was too late.

"Fuck!" I growled, looking around again just in case before walking back inside.

"I take it that was her."

Hanging my head, I mumbled, "Yeah."

Weeks went by and I heard nothing from Bella. Rose and Alice still came in, though. When it was going on a month and a half, I'd had enough. "Where is she?"

Rose raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

Growling in frustration, I sat down at their table. "Bella hasn't been here in weeks."

Rose and Alice shared a look. "We know, we go over there and visit. She won't leave her place. She just barely takes care of herself. Her editor even said that her work isn't what it used to be. What happened?" Her voice was cold, and it spread through my veins.

I pulled my hair in frustration. "It was a misunderstanding. My cousin Kate was here and she was complaining about unoriginal, overplayed ideas. Bella was here before that and left her notebook. I thought I would show Kate Bella's most recent idea." I didn't finish before Alice was on me with a right hook.

"Fuck!" I hollered, grabbing my face.

"How could you do that to her!" Alice shouted at me.

"Alice." Rose pulled her away.

"I wasn't trying to do anything. I thought I was helping both Bella and Kate."

Alice shook her head. "Bella probably thought you were making fun of her. She already doubted that you like her, then she sees you talking to a woman with her very, _very_ private book."

"I know! I tried to chase her down. I don't have her number; I don't know where she lives." I went back to ripping at my hair.

Rose looked at Alice. "That explains her behavior, but it was an honest mistake."

Alice glared at me. "I suppose."

"What do you plan to do to make this right?" Rose sipped her drink, waiting for me to answer.

What could I do? I thought about different scenarios. "I doubt me explaining what she saw would do any good, but I think I might have one idea."


	3. Chapter 3

**BPOV**

Edward still plagued my mind day in and day out. Mostly, it was when I was working on Oracle. I hated that I had the inspiration to write it because of him.

I hid under my covers when I heard the clacking of stilettos on the floor. "Be_lla,_" Rose sang my name before she tossed the covers off me.

"Ugh, Rose." I groaned and buried myself further under the blanket.

I heard two small sighs.

"You can't keep going on like this," Alice told me as she climbed on the bed and lifted the pillow covering my head.

Blinking, I looked up in her face. "How's Jasper?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

She gave me a small smile. "He's not reenlisting. He's going to stay with me."

I screeched in glee, thrilled to hear that she was going to get her happy ever after. I pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so happy for you."

Rose joined us on my bed. "Bella, we have to get you ready for your meeting."

I pulled away from Alice, scrunching my nose. "What meeting? I don't have a meeting."

Alice smirked at me. "Yes, you do."

Before I truly had a grasp on what was happening, I was shoved in the shower. I had a nice pantsuit on was being dragged out the door before too long. Even though I whined and tried to bargain my way out of whatever they were up too, they ignored my every plea.

"Kate!" Alice waved to a woman that I would never forget; her face was burned in my memory.

I stopped sharply. "This isn't funny."

Alice and Rose turned and looked at me. I didn't know what they saw, but I knew how I felt; set up and betrayed by the only people I thought I could trust.

Alice placed her hands on my face. "Bella, sit down and talk to this woman. We would never do anything that would hurt you."

My heart was pumping too hard and my skin was on fire. "Alice, please, she was looking in my book and laughing." My eyes began to burn with unshed tears.

Rose took my hand. "That was all in your head, hun, now let's go over and find out what really happened."

Shaking my head, I walked over, clinging to Alice and Rose's hands to give me the strength.

The woman gave me a timid smile as we sat. "I'm Kate Denali, Edward's cousin. I'm a movie producer."

My mouth popped open a little and my eyes widened. Not his girlfriend. His cousin.

She smiled more openly. "I was complaining to Edward that people have no original ideas anymore. I keep getting pitched the same crap, just a different title." I stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue and pondering what she was saying. "Then Edward opened your notebook and told me about your idea."

Biting my bottom lip, I went over and over what I saw in my head. Did I really misread the situation? Edward did smile at me, and he seemed happy to see me, not afraid or worried. Wow, I really misread what was going on.

"You weren't laughing at me?" I mumbled, feeling incredibly stupid.

She shook her head. "No, not at all. I was fascinated with what I was looking at and was hoping to talk to you more about Oracle."

Letting go of Alice and Rose, I took out my notebook. "I would love to."

Rose and Alice eventually left as Kate and I talked about Oracle. The discussion went on for hours and she was enthralled that I was battling my publisher about it.

"I tell you what. If you want this to be a movie, if you want to turn it into a script, I will take the project on. If you want to make it a book first and your current place won't publish it, I know someone right now that will publish it."

I smiled as I nodded. "You'll be the first person I call if I can't persuade them any further. But I really want to publish it first, then maybe you can produce it into something on-screen."

Kate clapped her hands together. "I can't wait to get started."

We parted ways and I texted Rose and Alice to let them know I was done. I also thanked them for setting up the meeting with Kate.

Then I just walked and walked. I didn't know what I was going to say to Edward, but I knew I needed to see him.

My insecurities and the doubt that plagued my mind always tended to get in the way of me ever making me any connections outside of Alice and Rose. Pulling open the door to the bar, the smell of beer and grease wafted over me, telling me I was in the right spot. He was at the bar, tending to customers. His lips were pulled up, but his eyes were dull. He was wearing a t-shirt that showed every inch of his tattooed arms. When he finished with his customers he turned in my direction and our eyes met. For just a fraction of a second, his widened before they showed determination as he came out from behind the bar and strolled up to me.

I started to chew on my bottom lips as he came to a stop in front of me.

"I shouldn't have shown her anything until I talked to you." His hand reached out and brushed a strand of hair off my face, causing me to stop breathing for a moment.

"I should have just asked what was going on." My gaze darted to the floor.

He gently pulled my chin up, making me look at his chiseled jaw with a couple days' worth of facial hair and intense green eyes. Edward's lips were mere millimeters away from mine. I wanted them so badly, I couldn't stop myself from pressing mine against his.

I felt his smile as he kissed me back. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do this," he whispered against my lips.

Unable to contain my glee, I giggled. "I've been admiring your lips for a couple months now."

When he pulled away from me, he caused me to growl just a bit, making him laugh and run his tongue ring across his bottom lip. "I'm taking you out this Friday." He left no room for me to argue, not that I had any desire to.

"I'd love that."

It turned out that our admiration was mutual.

**XOXOXOXOXOXO**

**The End. I know its probably too short for some of you guys but this all they spoke to me. And I think sometimes short and sweet is the best. **

**I really hope that this is received well. I had a lot of fun writing a short little snip-it like this. **

**I have to thank Lara aka Meteoronamoonlessnight for being patient with me even though I am sure she wanted to strangle me just a bit lol.**

**This was so much fun. I really hope to do this again next year.**


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